Suffolk PCC Tim Passmore is “disappointed” his force may be about to welcome their last cohort of direct entry detectives.

Suffolk was one of the first forces in the country to launch a detective entry recruitment programme in July 2017.

Five years on, the force has said the scheme has been “very successful”, with PCC Tim Passmore explaining that it has attracted a range of recruits including a midwife and a social and health worker.

The PEQF however does not support this route into policing which means that the entry route will shortly close across the country.

Mr Passmore explained to Police Oracle he is not against the PEQF but said it should build on already successful routes rather than scrapping them completely.

He said that he hopes for “sufficient flexibility” within the PEQF, clarifying that in many ways academic qualifications can be useful, but they need to be successfully blended with a practical approach – particularly in this area.

He also emphasised the importance of PR and marketing within the PEQF so that potential applicants fully understand the scheme.

He has nonetheless urged those wanting to be a detective to apply under direct entry while they still can.

“Suffolk has led the way nationally on detective entry recruitment and it has been a tremendous success over the last five years,” he said.

“Most new recruits start as uniformed police constables and this traditional route is an excellent choice but, for some, the detective route is more attractive which made the direct entry programme very popular. 

"I am very disappointed that this may be last opportunity for recruits to join as detectives but sadly the new Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) does not support this innovative approach.

He added: “I would urge anyone who is thinking of joining the police and specifically wants to be a detective to act now while the direct entry is still available. But if the timing is not right now, rest assured all the opportunities to be a detective will always be available; you’ll just have to do your stint as a unformed constable first.”